Told you so…

The fucking point is that fucking Alabama is going to kick kids off the fucking team for no fucking reason. The point is not that violating the NCAA’s made-up limit is evil. The NCAA limit is there because the NCAA would like you to not kick kids off the fucking team, but for various reasons the rule’s pretty easy to skate around. The issue is not 32 > 25. The issue is that 70 + 32 > 85…

Alabama has every incentive to dump guys. They flat out have to. If a kid is struggling with his academic eligibility how motivated will Alabama be to help him? If a player commits a petty offense how eager will Alabama be to boot him? If Nick Saban knows that by August he has to say goodbye to six kids and it’s July and he’s only got four down, then what?

I’ll tell you what: someone gets it right in the ass.

—Brian Cook of MGoBlog

Newsflash: Nobody took it in the ass. As everyone warned when Cook made this a personal crusade, every team faces attrition. Surprise, Alabama was no different.

Alabama has 60 players on scholarship with the reported departure of Patrick Crump. Crump left the team of his own volition. According to his former high school football coach quoted by the Birmingham News, Crump’s heart wasn’t in the game; in other words, he gave up.

There are two scholarship numbers every team must face, the overall limit of 85, and the yearly limit of 25.
Of Alabama’s 32 signees, two were back-counted to the 2007 class. And five others are playing pro baseball or facing other issues like academic problems. The five included Kerry Murphy (now at Hargrave prep), Devonta Bolton (facing uncertain academic situation), Brandon Lewis (heading to JUCO), Destin Hood (heading to play Major League Baseball) and Melvin Ray (pro baseball too).

32-2 back counters=30.
30-3 non-qualifiers=27.
27-2 pro baseball players=25

One of Alabama’s signees is qualified to use the Bryant Scholarship. Provided he meets certain restrictions, this academic scholarship won’t count against the 85/25. It is unknown if UA would chose this route; however, with the start of practice we should know something soon.

25-1 (possible Bryant Scholarship)=24

Alabama still was required to meet the 85 overall limit. Attrition took care of that. The Birmingham News reported last night that the Tide was at 60 scholarship players.

Unlike Cook suggested, there was nothing nefarious about Nick Saban’s method. He didn’t kick players off the team. Players either made a personal choice to give up football, were facing medical conditions or committed felonies.

I know people hate Saban, but I don’t think he can be blamed for the serious medical problem afflicting Zeke Knight.

Leaving Alabama were (this is the list I have, did I miss anyone? Let me know if I did, and I’ll modify the list.):
Patrick Crump- “his heart wasn’t in it” (a personal choice)
Ezekiel Knight- medical problem prevented play
Jimmy Johns- legal problems
Lionel Mitchell- back injury/medical scholarship
B.J. Stabler-gave up football (personal choice)
Charles Hoke-medical scholarship
Jeremy Elder-legal problems

Alabama’s over-signing ended up being a non-story. If anything, Alabama looks to have some wiggle room entering the fall, provided it utilizes the Bryant Scholarship.

Maybe next year Cook can crusade against an actual evil. A word of advice, wait until something bad actually happens before getting filled with righteous rage.